Solid field of 10 to go in San Felipe Stakes

By: SPORTS NETWORK

The San Felipe is the final local prep for the Santa Anita Derby on April 5. Winning the race will be worth 50 points toward a start in the Kentucky Derby on May 3.

California Chrome gets back to the races for the first time since winning the California Cup Derby at Santa Anita on Jan. 25. Trained by Art Sherman, the chestnut colt will start from post 4 with Victor Espinoza again riding.

California Chrome, owned by Steven Coburn and Perry Martin, posted a 5 1/2-length victory in the January stakes. The colt won the King Glorious Stakes by 6 1/4 lengths in Hollywood Park's final stakes on Nov. 22.

"He's getting better," Espinoza said. "His last two wins have given him so much more confidence."

The chestnut colt has earnings of $354,850 with four wins in eight career starts.

Trainer Bob Baffert has entered undefeated Bayern and Sham Stakes winner Midnight Hawk. Bayern will be ridden by Gary Stevens from post 6 and Midnight Hawk will break from post 9 with Mike Smith in the saddle.

Owned by Kaleem Shah Inc., Bayern has won both career starts by better than 18 lengths. He won on Jan. 4 by 3 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita in his debut effort and returned on Feb. 13 to win an allowance race by 15 lengths.

Midnight Hawk, co-owned by Mike Pegram, won his first career start in December at Hollywood Park and followed four weeks later by winning Santa Anita's Sham Stakes as the 2-5 favorite. The gray colt finished third to Candy Boy in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita four weeks ago.